


kayaks and paddleboards

by coffee_shop_vibes



Category: Haikyuu!!
Genre: Akaashi Keiji is a Mess, Akaashi is a simp, M/M, akaashi also loves bokuto's muscles but who doesn't, beach town date, bokuto is a kayak instructor in a wetsuit, bokuto is a tease, bokuto us beefy, if someone draws bokuto in a wetsuit for me i would die, kayak instructor au, wetsuit bokuto gives me brain rot
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2021-01-04
Updated: 2021-01-10
Packaged: 2021-03-14 00:40:47
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 2
Words: 6,883
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/28537515
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/coffee_shop_vibes/pseuds/coffee_shop_vibes
Summary: Akaashi didn’t hate the water. He just preferred the water to not be freezing cold. He enjoyed hot tubs and heated pools. Oceans, lakes, and springs on the other hand, were too cold for his tastes. Which is why when his parents told him they were going on a kayaking tour to see manatees, he immediately tried to opt out. ‘You won’t even get in the water,’ they said. ‘It won’t be that cold,’ they said. All assuming that he didn’t tip out of the kayak the second he got into deeper waters.
Relationships: Akaashi Keiji/Bokuto Koutarou
Comments: 10
Kudos: 109





	1. kayaks and paddleboards

Akaashi didn’t hate the water. He just preferred the water to not be freezing cold. He enjoyed hot tubs and heated pools. Oceans, lakes, and springs on the other hand, were too cold for his tastes. Which is why when his parents told him they were going on a kayaking tour to see manatees, he immediately tried to opt out. ‘You won’t even get in the water,’ they said. ‘It won’t be that cold,’ they said. All assuming that he didn’t tip out of the kayak the second he got into deeper waters. 

He scoffed softly from the backseat of the car as his parents pulled into a parking spot close to the beach. Even though there were only a few clouds in the sky, and his weather app told him it was eighty five degrees, he could see wind blowing the trees and waves crashing on shore. He only hoped they weren’t on the water for too long. 

Akaashi stepped out of the car and made his way over to a small shack that had kayaks and paddleboards of all colors set up against its side. He was slightly worried that if anymore kayaks were set against it, it would topple over. The kayaks looked new, but the building itself looked run down. The paint on the wooden walls was peeling, and the door to enter the shack was about to fall off its hinges. He eyed his parents out of the side of his eyes. This is the place they were going to trust to take them on a tour. 

A few other families were gathered around, most likely also waiting to start the tour. Akaashi looked around, but didn’t see anyone around that he expected to be their tour guide. Everyone looked like tourists, with their phones in waterproof bags hanging around their neck. The spring they were at was pretty, but he doubted that he would see anything he would want to take a picture of. 

Akaashi immediately takes back that statement when a man that has to be at least ninety percent muscle walked around the shack. The black and golden yellow bodysuit he was wearing didn’t leave anything to the imagination, and Akaashi’s eyes traced over the man’s biceps, chest, abs, and everything else. When his eyes finally finished their tour and went back to the top, they made contact with wide amber eyes. Akaashi’s mind immediately set on fire, and he went into panic mode. The man simply smiled and turned away, walking towards the front of the group. Akaashi enjoyed the back view even more. Once the man turned around again, Akaashi took a deep breath.

“Hey, hey, hey, everyone! My name is Bokuto, and I’ll be your tour guide on this beautiful spring today.” His smile radiated sunshine across the small crowd, and Akaashi thought the temperature must have gone up a few degrees. “I have the kayaks set up around back, so if you all will just follow me there, we can get set up and head out.”

Akaashi and his parents picked kayaks far off to the right. His parents picked one where they could row together, leaving Akaashi alone. Akaashi thought he was definitely going to fall out of the kayak at some point that day, seeing as he was struggling to get in on dry ground.

“Do you need any help getting in?” a voice asked from behind him.

Akaashi jumped, nearly tripping over the kayak before a hand grabbed his upper arm, holding him steady. Akaashi’s cheeks flushed. “Woah are you good,” Bokuto chuckled, pulling Akaashi upright. Akaashi nodded quickly. 

“Yes, I’m good. Thank you.” Akaashi wanted to dive into the water and never come up. 

“Here, let me help you in. You just need to hold on to this part on each side, and then step in. I’ll hold you steady.” Bokuto pointed at the cockpit, before grabbing the part of the kayak not in the water. “Just ease yourself in.” 

Akaashi flushed again, grabbing the rim of the kayak and lowered himself into the seat. He hoped Bokuto couldn’t see the red spreading down the back of his neck, and if he did, Akaashi hoped he would just assume it was a sunburn. 

Once Akaashi was seated, Bokuto went back to the front of the group. “Great! So now that everyone is settled in, I’ll push you all off into the water before following on my paddleboard. I’ll be standing up, so you always know where I am. If you all just want to paddle out a bit until I get everyone on the water, I’ll be with you shortly.”  
Akaashi could admit that Bokuto was very professional, more than he originally thought when he saw the outrageously spiky black and grey hair on his head. The more Bokuto talked, however; the more Akaashi thought it suited him. 

Bokuto began to push the families offshore, making sure each person was steady as they floated away. Akaashi was the last person on shore and bit his lip as Bokuto pushed him away from shore. 

“How are you feeling?” Bokuto asked, as Akaashi slowly drifted away. Akaashi was gripping the sides of the kayak, his paddle resting across his legs. 

“Good, I guess.” The kayak wobbled side to side a bit, but eventually steady out. 

“Okay, great!” Bokuto walked a few steps to the left and grabbed his paddleboard and paddle. “Let’s get going!”

Bokuto stepped onto the paddleboard and pushed into the water. He moved a lot faster than Akaashi could and ended up at the front of the group. Akaashi paddled forward, accidentally bumping into his parent’s kayak. Akaashi cursed in his head, thinking he probably looked like an idiot. 

“We’ll just paddle around the spring today, and through a couple canals. There’s not too many people out today, so we might be lucky and spot quite a few manatees.” Bokuto surged forward, leading the group through the water. Akaashi was happy there weren't too many people in the tour group and on the spring today. There was a smaller chance of him running into someone else, and less people to see him crash into the water when he inevitably fell out. 

The group spent the next hour paddling around the spring, peering into the waters for manatees. Akaashi wouldn’t say it was the most riveting experience of his life, but listening to Bokuto talk about the history of springs and sprout all sorts of biological facts about manatees and fish wasn’t torture. 

At some point, Bokuto ended up near the back of the group by Akaashi. He bent down, balancing on one knee. “So how are you enjoying the tour? Do you have any questions?” Bokuto grazed his fingers over the water, eyes filtering back and forth between the group and Akaashi. 

Akaashi opened his mouth and froze. ‘Are you single?’ was the first thing that floated in his mind, but he wasn’t about to voice that. Pining over the attractive kayaking guide was one thing, but making him uncomfortable with personal questions was not something he wanted to partake in. Still, he wanted to get to know Bokuto a little bit before he never saw him again.

“How long have you been a tour guide for?” Akaashi looked back into the water, avoiding the molten amber eyes that seemed to dig deeper into his soul. 

Bokuto stretched his neck and looked into the sky. “Not too long. Only since the beginning of last summer. It’s a nice place though. I’m outside all day.” Akaashi had figured. Even though Bokuto was mostly covered by the skin tight wetsuit, his hands and neck were nicely tanned. “It’s also a great work out, paddling and keeping my balance for hours.” Bokuto laughed, and Akaashi was sure he was going to fall into the water with how it shook his whole body. But Bokuto maintained his balance. As Bokuto continued to laugh, Akaashi’s eyes once again traveled along his body, watching Bokuto’s abs contract and expand. 

Bokuto settled down once again, but his smile was still gleaming. Just like the sun, Akaashi swore it was reflecting off the spring water. 

“Are you on vacation with your family?” Bokuto asked, looking towards Akaashi’s parents who were taking an excessive amount of pictures of the water. He doubted that they were actually even looking at a manatee. 

Akaashi licked his lips, “No, uh, we live a few towns over but have never done one of these tours. It’s more of a family bonding trip.”

Bokuto’s smile seemed to grow even bigger. “That’s great that you live so close to here!” Bokuto’s mind seemed to stutter. “To town I mean. It’s a great location, and there’s so much to do. Have you been downtown yet? If not, it’s definitely a place to check out!” Bokuto brought his arm up to scratch at the back of his neck. Akaashi couldn’t help but look at the muscles itching to break out of the wetsuit. 

“Yes, I’ll have to check it out.” Akaashi gave Bokuto a small smile. 

Bokuto turned to the tour group once more. “Okay, everyone, there’s one more place I’d like to take you, so if you all would just follow me.” He stood up, smiled at Akaashi, and paddled forward, leading the crew down a larger canal. This canal had less waterfront property than the others they had gone down, and it was instead overgrown with trees and grass. Long, willowing branches hung over the water, creating archways to pass under. 

Bokuto needed to bend forward in order to avoid the hanging leaves hitting him in the face, and at this point, Akaashi thought he was showing his body off on purpose. They passed through a final arch of tree branches and entered another empty spring. This one having an empty small beach on the other side, but ultimately surrounded by trees and other foliage. 

“Alright everyone, we’ll spend a few minutes here. This water is the deepest we’ve been in, so just be careful. If you float around the edges you might see some more manatees. I’ll be around if anyone has any questions.” Bokuto pushes towards a family with smaller children that had wanted to ask a question, as everyone else paddled out to the sides. Akaashi paddles closer to the family because sue him if he wants to keep looking at Bokuto in the wetsuit. 

“And what keeps a dock floating above water?” he heard Bokuto ask one of the younger children, sitting with one leg on either side of the paddleboard. “Pier pressure.” Bokuto’s energetic laugh spread throughout the spring, and Akaashi found himself giggling like the small children. 

“Knock knock,” one of the children said quickly.

“Who’s there?” Bokuto asked, smiling widely at the kid. 

“Water.”

“Water who?”

“Water you waiting for? Open the door!”

Bokuto giggled at the children, rubbing the tops of their heads. “You two are comedians.” The children continued to giggle at Bokuto, while the parents asked for a photo. Akaashi watched Bokuto lean back on the paddleboard to fit the whole family into the frame. Akaashi paddled back towards the middle of the spring, closing his eyes and leaning back to enjoy the sun. It wasn’t as windy as he thought it was going to be, and he hadn’t gotten very wet either. All in all, he was content. 

Akaashi planned to stay drifting peacefully in the sun, until a few drops of water splashed on his face. Shocked, Akaashi opened his eyes wide and wobbled in his kayak. 

“Woah, woah, woah, careful there sunshine,” Bokuto said standing above him, his hand out as he sprinkled more water onto Akaashi’s head. 

Akaashi waved his hand, and was one more droplet away from pushing Bokuto into the water. “Ah, stop that,” Akaashi muttered, sticking his hand in the water to splash back at Bokuto. 

Bokuto raised his hand in surrender. “Just making sure you’re alive. Can’t have my favorite customer dying on my tour.” 

Akaashi rolled his eyes even as his heart fluttered. Bokuto probably called everyone his favorite customer, but it definitely made his cheeks red. “I won’t be your favorite customer for long when I push you into the spring.” 

“Eh, even then I think I’ll like you the best,” Bokuto smiled so genuinely, Akaashi was sure he wasn’t making a joke. 

Akaashi brushed a strand of hair off his forehead. His other hand gripping the paddle tighter. He wondered if it was okay if he asked Bokuto out. It’s not like he would hound him if he said no. He would simply hide away in his room forever and never venture into the town again. But if Bokuto said yes, he would have a date with probably the hottest man he’s ever seen. 

“Bokuto, do you have more tours today?” Akaashi asked after a few seconds of internal debate. 

Bokuto kept his eyes towards the water, but knelt down on his board. “Uh, I don’t believe so. It’s not really the busy season, so this was it for today unless someone walks up and wants to kayak.” Bokuto nodded his head as he spoke, as if confirming his own words with himself. 

Akaashi nodded back, a little endeared by Bokuto’s head bobbing. His hands clenched and released the paddle. “Well,” he paused and looked at Bokuto. Bokuto's eyes were shining and with the sun lowering behind him, he looked like a painting that belonged in the Louvre. “If you aren’t busy later this afternoon, would you want to continue this tour downtown?”

Akaashi's eyes flitted away from Bokuto, so he could avoid seeing the look of annoyance or disgust in his face. However, instead of hearing a harsh rejection, Akaashi heard a loud splash of water. Akaashi whipped back to look at Bokuto, but he was no longer kneeling on the paddleboard, but instead submerged under the water.

“Oh my god, Bokuto,” Akaashi cried out, attempting to grab at Bokuto’s hand before he realized he was leaning too far forward and tipped in after Bokuto. The chilly water shocked Akaashi, and he sloshed around until his head was above water again. He took in a deep breath and coughed out the little water he drank as he fell in. When he could focus on something other than the cold water, Akaashi could hear laughter. Bokuto’s being the loudest among the tour group. 

Akaashi wanted to throw off his life vest and just drown in the water at that moment, no matter how cold it was, but before he could, he felt hands grab his waist and pull him closer to the paddle board. His shirt rose up past the bottom of the life jacket, and the hands were hot against his stomach. Akaashi shivered and held to the paddleboard tightly. 

“Are you okay?” he heard Bokuto ask behind him, his hot breath against his neck. He shivered again, but managed to nod.

“Absolutely mortified, but as long as you let me drown here it will be okay,” Akaashi muttered. Akaashi could feel Bokuto laugh against him. 

“Don’t you remember me saying, I can’t let my favorite customer die.” Bokuto reached for the paddleboard and held it steady. “Here take this and swim to the shore, I’ll follow with your kayak.” 

Bokuto let go of Akaashi, and swam towards the overturned kayak. Akaashi looked around and could see the rest of the group, including his parents, giggle at this misfortune. Akaashi started to swim towards the shore, internally complaining about how he never wants to step foot in water again. He hoped Bokuto got shocked enough from the cold water to forget about the embarrassing attempt of Akaashi asking him out. 

Akaashi finally reached a spot in the spring where his feet could touch the sand, and then started to walk the paddleboard up to the shore. His clothes were soaked, and he could only feel relieved that he left his phone in the car. 

Akaashi set the paddleboard down and turned to see Bokuto a few steps behind him with the kayak. 

“So I don’t have any replacement clothes for you here, but once we get back to the shack I can give you a couple towels to dry off and warm up with,” Bokuto suggested. 

Akaashi nodded, wrapping his arms around himself to warm himself up. Bokuto smiled at Akaashi and rubbed his arm. “We don’t want you catching a cold before our date, do we?” 

Akaashi’s brain stopped all processes. “Date?” he repeated after taking a second to recollect himself. 

Bokuto’s smile wavered. “I mean yeah, I thought that was what you were asking before. I mean, I didn’t expect you to ask. My brain kinda stopped, and then I fell off the board, but I was really hoping you would ask, otherwise I would’ve asked you, but if you don’t want it to be a date it doesn’t have to be. We can just go as friends or acquaintances, or we don’t even have to go, I’m sorry,” Bokuto rushed out the words faster than he could breathe, causing him to inhale deeply at the end. 

Akaashi could hear his heartbeat thump in his ears, as he looked at Bokuto’s smile that seemed to be forced, and his eyes that seemed to lose their shine. 

“A date is fine. Preferred actually,” he shouted towards Bokuto. A sad and droopy Bokuto was not one Akaashi wanted to keep seeing. 

Energy seemed to pour back into Bokuto as his smile widened, his eyes lifted, and even his hair seemed a little spikier. “A date! Yes, I will take you everywhere. There’s this shop that sells really cool sand globes, which are like snow globes but with sand, and you would think it would get clumpy, but it doesn’t. And we can go get dinner. Don’t worry, I’ll plan anything. Gah, I can’t believe I’m going on a date with-” Bokuto’s exciting chatter dies out, and his cheeks turn red. “I… I don’t know your name,” Bokuto whispered. 

Akaashi’s eyes widened at how shy and awkward Bokuto looked. He giggled into his palm, and Bokuto’s eyes shot up. “Akaashi Keiji,” he stuck his hand out, “Nice to meet you.”

“Bokuto Koutarou,” his warm hand grabs Akaashi’s. “Nice to meet you, Akaashi.”


	2. sand globes and sea shells

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> akaashi and bokuto's beach town date

Akaashi was having a slight identity crisis, as he looked through all the clothes in his closet. Struggling to choose what to wear in the thirty minutes before he had to leave for the beach again was one of his biggest worries at the moment. The other was how the date would actually go, but he tried to ignore that at the moment. He didn’t want to overthink it. 

He was sure he didn’t have the same effect on Bokuto with his clothes soaking wet as Bokuto had on him in the wet suit. While he exchanged numbers with Bokuto, all he could feel were his clothes sticking to his skin in the worst spots, and he probably looked as cute as a drenched cat. Akaashi blew air out of his nose sharply, and groaned into his palms. Akaashi hoped that the next time he saw Bokuto, he would be the one a little starstruck. Although, nothing in his closet seemed to have the same effect as a skintight wet suit. 

Akaashi had been pacing his room, finding an outfit, and then quickly throwing it on the floor because it wasn’t the one. Bokuto had wanted to meet back at the beach at 5:30 to watch the sunset with him, and Akaashi was becoming more and more nervous. Eventually, the clock hit 5:05, and if he didn’t leave in the next five minutes he would be late. Akaashi cursed but grabbed a pair of tan shorts and a random sky blue button up shirt with shells and starfish on it. Bokuto seemed to like the beach, maybe some subliminal messaging will help him along. Akaashi could only hope. 

Akaashi rushed through the house, tugging his shorts down. His parents had left for dinner after Akaashi had told them he had plans. Akaashi was blushing the whole time he was telling them, as they teased him about the cute kayak instructor that was making eyes at him the whole tour. He was just glad they were out of the house, so he didn’t have to sit through an embarrassing stay safe talk right before he left. 

Pulling out of the driveway, Akaashi blasted the radio, trying to focus on the music instead of worrying about the date. The drive from his small town to the beach was boring, only filled with ranches and empty fields, which usually allowed his mind to wonder and overthink.

By the time Akaashi reached the beach town, his body felt like it was vibrating. Akaashi was drumming his fingers on the wheel, and his eyes flickered all over the place. He wished he would have left a few minutes early, as he struggled to find somewhere to park. Akaashi had assumed since the sun was going down, that all of the beach goers would be gone; however, the only parking spot he could find was blocks away. 

Akaashi groaned, but he accepted his horrible luck. He checked the clock on his dashboard, 5:25. He cursed, but rushed out of the car and started to sprint down the block. Akaashi was panting by the time he got to the little run down shack, and when his eyes landed on Bokuto, the little breath he did have left was gone. 

Even though Bokuto didn’t have a chance to go home, he looked like he had just walked a runway. Maybe Akaashi was a little biased, but he likes what he likes. Bokuto’s hair was down, still slightly wet and hiding his wide eyes until he swept it out of the way. Akaashi’s eyes travelled to the brown and grey flannel and tight black shirt underneath that hugged Bokuto’s chest like a second layer of skin. Even his jeans seem to cling to his lower half. Akaashi wondered if Bokuo had any loose clothing, not that Akaashi was complaining at that moment. 

Akaashi made eye contact with Bokuto and shared a small smile, which was nothing compared to the blinding sun given from Bokuto. 

“Hey, hey, hey! You made it,” Bokuto reached out and grabbed Akaashi’s hand. “Come on or else will miss it.” Bokuto started to drag Akaashi down the beach before he’s given a second to catch his breath, yet Akaashi could only focus on the warmth surrounding his hand. 

“Hi, Bokuto,” Akaashi let out, as he picked up his pace to walk next to Bokuto. He eyed the thick blanket hanging over Bokuto’s shoulder and was thankful Bokuto had thought ahead.

Bokuto and Akaashi rushed down to the shore, placing the blanking a few yards away from the water. The sun was already lowering in the sky, so Bokuto and Akaashi sat, legs out in front of them, feet occasionally bumping. 

The two talked quietly, enjoying the calming effect of the waves crashing on the shore, conversation jumping from the shared passion of volleyball in high school to Bokuto’s favorite springwater fish to Akaashi’s current focus at university. 

“I still play on a rec team in town,” Bokuto mentioned, running his hand through the sand by the edge of the blanket. “We meet up a couple times a week to practice and have games every once in a while.” Bokuto’s smile glowed at Akaashi. “You should totally come join a practice and come to the games ‘Kaashi.” 

Akaashi’s eyes widened at the subtle shortening of his name, and he pulled his legs up to rub his knees. “Maybe, I’d have to see how they would fit in with my class schedule,” Akaashi paused as he saw Bokuto nod along, not as happy as he could have been, “but I would love to see you play sometime.”

Bokuto tilted his head down and smiled into his chest. Seconds later, that smile disappeared. Akaashi wasn’t sure what had happened, but the aura around Bokuto had turned murky. 

“Uh, Bokuto, are you okay?”

Bokuto nodded but still looked dejected. “The sky isn’t pretty ‘Kaashi,” Bokuto pouted. 

Akaashi couldn’t help but smile as he noticed how cute Bokuto looked with his lips in a pout and his eyebrows furrowed. Akaashi couldn’t deny the simple blue sky wasn’t the most colorful sunset he had ever seen, but he only wanted to be around Bokuto.

“What do you mean Bokuto? The skies are clear, and although it’s just blue, it’s still a pretty color.”

“But it’s not as pretty as you ‘Kaashi,” Bokuto whined, looking towards Akaashi. 

Akaashi’s mouth dropped open and his cheeks flushed. “Wha- Bokuto- you don’t- What?” Akaashi ran a hand through his hair. 

“It’s true, you’re the prettiest thing I’ve ever seen.” Bokuto stared at Akaashi’s flustered self, throwing out that statement casually as if it isn’t sending Akaashi to the moon and back. 

Akaashi swallowed to clear his throat and looked back towards the horizon. “Thank you, Bokuto.”

“No problem Akaashi.”

Bokuto and Akaashi watched the sun pass the horizon in a peaceful silence. Akaashi’s mind was racing at how easily Bokuto complimented him, and Bokuto’s mind was filled with happiness at spending time with Akaashi. Eventually, Bokuto stood up, holding out a hand for Akaashi to grab. Bokuto pulled Akaashi up, using a bit too much of his strength, causing Akaashi to trip into his chest. Akaashi’s open hand landed on Bokuto’s chest, and he wasn’t inclined to move at all. 

Bokuto stood still, holding Akaashi’s other hand. “Did you want to head to the main street now?” he whispered, smiling at Akaashi. Akaashi nodded, taking a step away from Bokuto, but not letting go of his hand. 

“I kind of need this hand to fold the blanket,” Bokuto laughed, swinging the arm between them but making no move to let go either. 

Akaashi let out a silent huff and let go of Bokuto’s hand, bending over to pick up the blanket and then shaking off the sand. Akaashi swore he could feel eyes snaking over his body, and when he turned around, he noticed Bokuto’s eyes casted down. Akaashi found himself blushing again, pulling his shorts down a bit, now that the blanket was folded.

“Should we go?” he asked, holding the blanket in front of him. Bokuto’s eyes shot up, and he nodded quickly. There wasn’t a hint of embarrassment on his face at being caught, and Akaashi wondered if it was confidence or if Bokuto was simply oblivious. 

By the time they made it to the main street, the streetlights were on. However, the christmas lights strung in the palm trees up the middle of the street caught both of their attention. Light from the stores on either side lit up the sidewalks, and Bokuto pointed to the start of the street signified by a clock tower surrounded by a garden of flowers and a small water fountain. 

Akaashi was amazed by the beauty of the street, he hadn’t seen any small town try this hard. “This is really pretty,” he said to Bokuto, admiring the lights in the trees. 

Bokuto smiled, looking at Akaashi. “Yeah, really pretty indeed.”

Akaashi turned to Bokuto with a sigh and saw Bokuto whip his head towards the fountain. Akaashi smiled at him. 

“Are you hungry?” Bokuto asked quickly, squinting down the street. Akaashi nodded, feeling his stomach clench at the idea of food. 

“Yes, starving actually.”

Bokuto led them to a restaurant a block off the main street. “It has the best pizza around.” Bokuto froze mid step. “Oh, do you even like pizza? We can go somewhere else. I eat here all the time anyways, and if you don’t like pizza, we don’t-”

Akaashi’s laugh cut Bokuto off. “I love pizza. We can definitely eat here.”

The hostess led the two to a table near the back of the restaurant. The lights were dim, each table illuminated by a candle and decorated with a vase of flowers. 

“This is fancy,” Akaashi murmured towards Bokuto as he sat down. Bokuto was behind him immediately, pushing Akaashi’s chair in. “Thank you.”

Bokuto smiled, “No problem. And yeah this place likes to create a romantic atmosphere, but it’s not super expensive.” Akaashi’s mind focused on the word romantic. He knew he was on a date, but Bokuto putting focus on the romance between them caused him to flush. 

“The margherita pizza here is really good,” Bokuto said, watching Akaashi flip through the menu. “If you like that, I mean,” Bokuto spit out quickly. “We could share the pizza,” Bokuto whispered, sipping his glass of water. 

Akaashi closed his menu, “Sounds like a plan.”

Twenty minutes later, the two chatted over the margherita pizza. “So what’s been your favorite class so far?” 

Akaashi swallowed his bite of pizza and licked his lips. “Um, I’m not sure honestly. I took a class on hormones and behavior and the brain, and I had the most fun learning things from that class, but I think I want to go into cognitive psych more, so probably that class. I mean I also thought about studying to be a sports psychologist which I could use both the hormones and cognitive psychology classes, but that all depends on what I do after my undergrad, which who knows what I’ll actually do because I don’t.” Akaashi finished his ramble with a puff of air, then looked back up at Bokuto. His cheeks burned as Bokuto stared at him with wide eyes. 

“I didn’t know you could say that many words ‘Kaashi,” he laughed, shoving another slice of pizza in his mouth. 

Akaashi pinched at the edge of his shorts, “Me neither.” 

“Well, whatever you do after is going to be amazing, I can tell you that,” Bokuto encouraged. Their waitress came by again, dropping off the check and grabbing the now empty pizza tray. 

“I wouldn’t say amazing,” Akaashi sighed as he watched Bokuto throw a few bills on the table before they headed towards the entrance together. “I’ll probably be working somewhere wasting my life away not actually using my degree.” Akaashi never enjoyed talking about the future. “All the what ifs and how do I get to the point I want to be questions are a bit overwhelming,” Akaashi confessed. 

Bokuto ran his tongue over his lip and was about to respond before Akaashi cut him off. “I wish I could be more like you. Enjoying your life and doing what you want. You could go anywhere,” Akaashi huffed. “You have so much freedom.”

Bokuto grabbed Akaashi’s hand as they exited the restaurant. A soft aura of comfort fell over Akaashi. “Once you graduate, I’ll take you everywhere you want to go,” Bokuto stated firmly. “We can be free together.”

Akaashi blushed, surprised Bokuto was thinking that far into the future. Akaashi nodded in response, not sure what words could convey his feelings towards Bokuto at that moment. 

They started to walk under the palm trees, peeking through the windows into each store. Bokuto seemed to have a store in mind but walked slowly past each store, giving Akaashi a chance to pull them in. They bypassed multiple boutiques, all holding clothes way out of their price ranges, before finally stopping at a souvenir shop. Bokuto beamed, obviously excited, and pulled Akaashi into the store. 

Bokuto led the two to a wall near the register. “Here, look, these are the sand globes I was talking about.” Bokuto pointed at shelves of sand globes. Akaashi leaned closer, peering at each globe. They were like snow globes, except instead of tiny white fluff, they contained tiny pieces of reflective gold flakes and tiny sea shells. 

“These are cool,” nodded Akaashi, grabbing one to turn upside down. He watched the flakes float in the liquid around a tiny plastic surfboard placed next to a tiny plastic beach chair. “Cool and cute.”

Bokuto bobbed his head quickly. “Right! Which ones should we get?” Bokuto’s eyes bounced around the shells. Akaashi was about to point at one that had a surfboard similar to Bokuto’s paddleboard when he felt his phone vibrate in his pocket. With the hand not still wrapped around Bokuto’s, he pulled his phone out of his pocket seeing a notification from his parents. 

Akaashi rolled his eyes, already envisioning multiple texts asking about how his date is going. He didn’t expect to see multiple photo attachments including the cute little caption of ‘two lovebirds falling for each other.’ Akaashi’s cheeks flamed, and he wondered if they had ever been cool this whole night. 

Bokuto tilted his head at Akaashi when he noticed the other burning up. “Are you good, ‘Kaashi?”

Akaashi nodded before handing his phone to Bokuto, one of the photos already opened. Bokuto let out a tiny noise Akaashi didn’t even know how to describe. “Akaashi, these are so cute,” Bokuto blurted, taking both hands to hold the phone. Akaashi watched as Bokuto swiped through the pictures, gasping at each one and claiming it as the cutest picture in existence. 

Bokuto stopped on one picture and turned the phone back to Akaashi. It was of Akaashi mid-fall out of his kayak, eyes and mouth wide, and Bokuto mid-laugh watching Akaashi fall in. Akaashi's cheeks felt even warmer, and he moved to push the phone out of his view. 

“How embarrassing,” Akaashi muttered, turning back towards the sand globes. Bokuto scoffed and shoved the phone in Akaashi’s face again. 

“What do you mean embarrassing? You look adorable. I want them all,” Bokuto demanded. Akaashi just laughed at what Bokuto must have thought was a serious face. Bokuto broke his serious expression and laughed along. 

“Come on, just send them to me, I need a profile picture for you anyways,” Bokuto begged. 

Akaashi’s eyes widened again at the thought of Bokuto seeing the frightened expression on his face everyday. “I’ll send you one of the pictures that I look decent in, but we can definitely get you a better picture to use okay.”

Bokuto seemed unsatisfied with that answer, but something caught his eye behind Akaashi. “Oh my god, look at that.” Bokuto grabbed Akaashi’s shoulder and twisted him around. Akaashi wasn’t sure what Bokuto was looking at until Bokuto’s arm shot passed his head and touched a sign that read ‘Insert a Picture of You Today’ above some sand globes. “We can put these pictures in a sand globe,” Bokuto exclaimed. 

Akaashi smiled slightly at Bokuto’s excitement. There was no way he could say no to that excitement no matter how bad he thought he looked in the picture. 

Before Akaashi could say anything, Bokuto was walking across the store, grabbing a worker and asking how to get the sand globes. Within ten minutes, the worker had printed two copies of the picture of Akaashi mid-fall and Bokuto mid-laugh, inserted them into the two sand globes Bokuto had picked out, and rang them up at the register. 

Akaashi moved to grab his wallet to buy the sand globes for the two of them, but Bokuto handed his card to the cashier faster. 

“Bokuto, you paid for dinner, I should be paying,” he argued, trying to pull Bokuto’s arm back.

“No, this is a date, so I should be paying,” Bokuto declared calmly, pushing his card to the cashier with a smile. 

“But I’m the one that asked you out; therefore, I should pay,” Akaashi huffed out. 

Bokuto grabbed Akaashi’s hand and held it at his side, “Well I’m the one that brought you into this store, so I’ll buy them.” Bokuto grabbed his card and receipt from the cashier. “Thank you,” he spoke, grabbed the bag with the sand globes, and walked towards the entrance. 

Akaashi huffed again, pouting slightly and avoiding eye contact with Bokuto. Bokuto cooed at Akaashi’s cuteness, causing Akaashi to roll his eyes. 

“Fine,” Akaashi looked down the street, “but I’m buying us ice cream.” Akaashi pulled Bokuto along, making sure to stay a step ahead to hide his still red face. Once they reached the shop, Akaashi pointed at the flavors and asked “What would you like?”

Bokuto laughed, “I can see the redness in your cheeks no matter how fast you walk, just so you know. I know you like me.”

Akaashi turned to look at Bokuto, “Yeah, I like you and what about it.”

Bokuto’s eyes widened dramatically, and Akaashi laughed internally. Akaashi was proud that he was the one causing Bokuto to blush now. 

“So ice cream now?” Akaashi offered, waving his hand at all the flavors. Bokuto gazed at all the choices, while Akaashi ordered a scoop of vanilla. 

“Just vanilla ‘Kaashi? How boring,” Bokuto joked. He turned to the counter ordering a scoop of the rainbow extreme, a mixture of about 20 different flavors that sounded horrendous in Akaashi’s opinion. 

“And that sounds so much better to you?” Akaashi questioned, handing his card to the cashier. Bokuto picked up their ice cream at the end of the counter, holding onto Akaashi’s until he got his card back. 

“Of course, it sounds fun.” Bokuto brought the cone to his mouth and licked at the side. Akaashi watched Bokuto’s face change and attempted to hide a smirk. Bokuto whipped the ice cream away from him, and struggled to swallow the flavors down. Akaashi giggled behind his cone before taking a bite off the top. 

“Is it good, Bokuto?”

Bokuto nodded and went to take another lick before Akaashi held out his hand to stop him. “You don’t have to lie,” Akaashi held out his cone, “Here, we can share mine.”

Bokuto blushed for the second time that night and took a lick of the vanilla ice cream, groaning quietly now that the random mixture of terrible flavors was out of his mouth. “Thanks ‘Kaashi,” Bokuto murmured shyly.

Akaashi nodded, taking back the ice cream to take another taste of vanilla. The second the vanilla settled on his tongue, Akaashi’s mind flashed. ‘Was this an indirect kiss? His mouth was just on it. I’m basically touching his lips. I wonder what kissing him would actually be like- no I can’t think about kissing him now, we just met today.’ Akaashi’s eyes flitted towards Bokuto’s mouth. ‘He does have nice lips though, oh my god, have I been staring for too long.’ 

Akaashi looked forward again and licked his ice cream. Bokuto tilted his head at Akaashi, noticing his cheeks flushing again. Bokuto grabbed Akaashi’s hand, swinging it in between as they walked down the street towards the water fountain and garden again. 

The two sat down on a bench off the side of the garden. Akaashi handed Bokuto the rest of the ice cream to finish, glancing towards the clock tower and seeing that it was nearly 8:30. 

Akaashi shivered as a breeze flowed through the garden. Bokuto noticed and stripped off his flannel, wrapping it around Akaashi’s shoulders quickly. 

“Ah, Bokuto, no I’m fine, it’s not that cold, keep it,” Akaashi argued, using a hand to pull the flannel off his shoulders.

Bokuto grabbed his hand to stop him, and pulled the flannel back up. He brushed off an imaginary fuzz on his shoulders then rested his hands on Akaashi’s face. “I run hot, see, so it’s fine. You keep it.” Bokuto stressed the word you, but Akaashi could only focus on the heat on his cheeks that was definitely being caused by Bokuto’s warm hands and nothing else at all. 

Bokuto stared into Akaashi’s eyes, as Akaashi nodded in agreement, face still squished between Bokuto’s hands. Slowly, Bokuto dropped his hands from Akaashi’s face. 

“We should head back, yeah? Don’t want you getting too cold.” Bokuto said and pointed towards the end of the street that would head towards the beach. 

Akaashi nodded, once again contemplating another bold decision in his head. It worked out once in his favor, so why not try for a second round. Before the unassertive part of his brain took over, he blurted out “If we go back and make out in a kayak… would we consider it canoodling?” Akaashi really hoped Bokuto understood that it was more than just a play on words. 

Akaashi stared at Bokuto in silence for a few seconds watching Bokuto process the words. It was amusing to watch Bokuto sputter and face turn red. Akaashi thought being bold was definitely worth it to see Bokuto look like he was about to pass out in excitement and nervousness. 

“Canoodling,” Bokuto gasped out, nodding quickly, “A joke. A good joke that I would most certainly like to take a part in.” Bokuto jumped up and held out a hand towards Akaashi, looking ready to run back to the beach. 

Akaashi giggled, but grabbed his hand and allowed himself to be pulled up. Who cares if they’ve known each other for less than twenty four hours, they were definitely going to get to know each other. 

And if after Akaashi goes home that night, thinking over the date and falling asleep, he’s staring at the sand globe he put on his bedside table, no one was around to say anything about it.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> to the people that were looking forward to this sorry it took so long to go up, i really procrastinated on it, but I finished it!  
> I also only read over it a couple times, so if there are any mistakes sorry but also let me know and i'll fix them !!! :p   
> Thank you for reading and enjoying this short love story of bokuto and akaashi :D

**Author's Note:**

> i have an idea for a part two that revolves around the pun 'If we go back and make out in a kayak… would it be canoodling?' but i don't know if i'll actually make it or if the idea will just live rent free in my mind


End file.
